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The fleet that recovered the capital: Thonburi and the Pho Sam Ton camp

On 23 September 1767 King Taksin left Chanthaburi with a fleet of about 100 boats and some 5,000 men, sailed along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand and entered the mouth of the Chao Phraya. He took Thonburi on the night of 22 October, then went up and took the Pho Sam Ton camp, north of Ayutthaya, within about three days. The capital was won back just 7 months after it fell.

Pho Sam Ton camp ≈Chanthaburi ≈Ko Sichang ≈Mouth of the Chao Phraya ≈Thonburi ≈ChonburiRayongNakhon NayokPrachin BuriChachoengsaoSaraburiAng ThongThailand12345
  • 1Stops, numbered as in the list below
  • 2Clash with the Burmese
  • 1–3Several stops close together: tap to zoom in
  • ≈ approximate position

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The ≈ sign marks an approximate location. Borders on the map are modern and shown for orientation only. Campaign routes are approximate lines drawn from the chronicles and modern studies, not the exact path taken. Dashed lines are enemy armies.

From Chanthaburi to Thonburi

Before setting out, King Taksin appointed Phraya Phiphit (Chen Lian) to govern Chanthaburi and left part of his force to hold the town. On the way the fleet put in at Bang Pla Soi bay, and is thought to have anchored at Ko Sichang. He summoned Nai Thong Yu Nok Lek, whom he had made governor of Chonburi, for questioning; finding that he was still robbing merchant ships, he had him executed and appointed another man to govern the town.

At dawn on 22 October the fleet entered the mouth of the Chao Phraya, and at about nine in the evening it reached Thonburi. It routed Nai Thong In, whom the Burmese had left in charge of the town; he fled upriver to Suki at the Pho Sam Ton camp.

Three days at Pho Sam Ton

On 24 October the fleet reached Ayutthaya. At dawn on the 25th the force was divided in two: one part attacked Mong Ya's camp on the east bank, near Wat Hong, while the other surrounded Suki's camp, the headquarters. Suki's camp was strong and could not be stormed, so it was surrounded and scaling ladders were made. On the third day, as the soldiers were climbing in, Suki surrendered according to some versions, or fought to the death according to others.

After taking the camp, King Taksin had the body of King Ekkathat exhumed and cremated. On 6 November 1767 he left Pho Sam Ton and went down to make Thonburi the new capital.

The route in 5 stops

  1. 1

    Chanthaburi

    Chanthaburi≈ approximate position12.610, 102.100

    Where to eat nearby

    Directions ↗

  2. 2

    Ko Sichang

    Chonburi≈ approximate position13.150, 100.810

    Researchers think the fleet anchored here while putting in at Bang Pla Soi bay

    Places to visit nearby

    Where to eat nearby

    Directions ↗

  3. 3

    Mouth of the Chao Phraya

    Samut Prakan≈ approximate position13.540, 100.590

    Places to visit nearby

    No suggestions for this area yet

    Where to eat nearby

    Directions ↗

  4. 4

    Thonburi

    Bangkok≈ approximate position13.740, 100.490

    Places to visit nearby

    Where to eat nearby

    Directions ↗

  5. 5

    Pho Sam Ton camp

    Ayutthaya≈ approximate position14.414, 100.547

    Clash with the Burmese army
    Battle
    The attack on the Pho Sam Ton camp
    Against
    The garrisons the Burmese had left at Thonburi and at the Pho Sam Ton camp
    How
    A fleet of about 100 boats entered the mouth of the Chao Phraya and took Thonburi on the night of 22 October 1767, then went up to attack the Pho Sam Ton camp north of Ayutthaya, which fell within about three days.
    Outcome
    Took Thonburi and the Pho Sam Ton camp, recovering the capital within 7 months of its fall, and then founded Thonburi.
    Note
    Approximate position.

    The main Burmese camp north of the city, which King Taksin retook at the end of October 1767

    Places to visit nearby

    Where to eat nearby

    Read more →Directions ↗

Travel guides for the provinces on this route

Things to do and where to eat in each province, from songkran.com, our sister travel site

Where historians still disagree

  • Suki's fate: he fought to the death, or was spared and then fled to Phimai.
  • Where the king stayed after the recapture: at the Pho Sam Ton camp, or in the Song Puen Throne Hall in the Royal Palace.

Frequently asked questions

When did King Taksin take Thonburi?

On the night of 22 October 1767, as calculated in Silpa Wattanatham.

How many boats were in King Taksin's fleet?

About 100, with some 5,000 men.

Sources
  1. From Ayutthaya to Thonburi: A chronology of key events in the life of King Taksin – Silpa Wattanatham (in Thai)
  2. "The Pho Sam Ton camp", where the Burmese army was based in 1767 – Silpa Wattanatham (in Thai)
  3. Naval Battle for Consolidation of the Nation by King Taksin the Great - GlobalSecurity

Last updated 13 November 2026